Affordable homes: London targets not being met despite 50 per cent rise in construction projects, claim Tories February 14, 2023 London mayor Sadiq Khan has been criticised for being behind on building targets for affordable homes, despite new construction projects increasing on last year. City Hall says 900 more affordable homes were completed in the financial year to December 2022 than in the same period last year, a rise of 50 per cent. But Tory [...]
Ukraine: Putin orders Wagner group and Russian troops to advance in ‘most sectors’ but MoD says gains won’t ‘achieve decisive effect’ February 14, 2023 Vladimir Putin’s troops have been commanded to advance in “most sectors” but are struggling to achieve a major breakthrough on the Ukrainian front line, British military chiefs have said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday that the Russians have “not massed sufficient offensive combat power” on any one axis to “achieve a decisive [...]
Sunak under pressure to increase defence spending amid NATO warnings February 13, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to increase the UK’s defence spending after NATO called for allies to boost ammunition production to support Ukraine. Tory backbenchers have issued stark warnings that Britain’s armed forces are “woefully ill-prepared” for a major conflict and that low defence spending is a “false economy”. It came as NATO [...]
Berlusconi: Ex Italy PM and long-time Putin ally blames Russia’s war in Ukraine on president Zelensky February 13, 2023 Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has blamed Ukraine’s president for Russia’s invasion, again putting him at odds with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s support for Kyiv. Mr Berlusconi, whose Forza Italia party is part of Ms Meloni’s right-wing coalition government, is a long-time friend and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said the war in [...]
Top Tory businessman quits for Labour over ‘f*** business’ attitude February 13, 2023 A top Tory businessman and LGBT+ champion has quit the Conservative party after almost two decades over the alleged ‘f*** business’ attitude and response to culture war issues. Iain Anderson, founder of PR firm Cicero and chairman of LGBT+ charity Stonewall, has abandoned his longstanding party membership and vowed to support Keir Starmer’s Labour Party [...]
‘Lavish’ spending culture of government ministers including £345,000 ‘restaurant and bar’ bill revealed February 13, 2023 Ministers are accused of overseeing a “lavish spending” culture in Whitehall with taxpayers’ money wasted on luxury items, after Labour analysis of government procurement cards. Concerns were raised over alcohol and dining purchases by the Labour Party including almost £345,000 by foreign office officials in 2021 under the heading “restaurants and bars”, as well as [...]
Former negotiator Lord Frost urges UK to ‘fully and enthusiastically embrace advantages of Brexit’ February 13, 2023 The UK’s former chief Brexit negotiator has urged the Government to “fully and enthusiastically embrace the advantages of Brexit” as he warned of a plot to undermine the agreement. Lord Frost referred to a “secret” cross-party gathering on foreign affairs, which was held at the Ditchley Park retreat in Oxfordshire last week, as “a further [...]
Watered down: Coffey reportedly backing away on plan to fine firms £250m for major sewage leaks February 13, 2023 Therese Coffey is reportedly backing away from plans to hit water companies with fines of up to £250m for spilling sewage into rivers and seas. The Environment Secretary wants to look at a “range of options”, although sources insisted the £250 million proposal remained on the table. Ms Coffey’s Department for the Environment, Food and [...]
Wallace: UK to review security after ‘airspace intrusions’ in US by alleged Chinese ‘spy balloon’ February 13, 2023 Ben Wallace has announced the UK will conduct a security review after a series of objects in Western airspace were shot down by the US military, including a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The Defence Secretary announced the intended review on Sunday. It comes after US fighter jets shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron [...]
Tensions sharpen after US jet downs fourth ‘unidentified object’ in eight days in wake of China ‘spy balloon’ February 13, 2023 A US fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden. It was the fourth such downing in eight days and the latest military strike in an extraordinary chain of events over US airspace that Pentagon officials believe has no peacetime precedent. Part of the reason [...]